Keimer's business had increased largely, and he had added many facilities for doing work, so that the establishment presented a more attractive appearance. "No; I am a printer no longer," answered Benjamin. "I am booked for the mercantile business in Philadelphia" "How is that? Were you not a printer in London?" "Yes, I followed my trade there, and learned more about it than I ever knew before. London is a great place for printing. Two printing houses there, with more than fifty hands in each." "Think you can do better in trading than printing?" asked Keimer, who was really anxious for Benjamin's services. "Not exactly so. But I should be in London now, had not Mr. Denham's offer to become his clerk brought me home." And Benjamin told the story of his acquaintance with Mr. Denham and the outcome, which was his offer to make him his business manager. "A good opportunity, I should think, if you like that business," answered Keimer; "but I should like to put you in manager of my printing office. You have had the experience, and understand the business much better than any man I have." "That is out of the question now, of course, as I am under obligations to Mr. Denham." "Of course; I only meant to tell you what I would do if you were at liberty." Benjamin was anxious to learn about Miss Read, whom he was quite ashamed to meet because of his neglect. Keimer was acquainted with the family, and first introduced him to them, as was stated in a former chapter. So that he had no doubt he would know all about Deborah. He ventured to inquire: "What can you tell me about Mrs. Read and her daughter?" "Mrs. Read lives where she did, and continues to take a few boarders. Her daughter was married to a miserable fellow, nearly a year ago, but lived with him only a few weeks, when she left him." "Indeed! That was unfortunate for her," Benjamin answered. "She deserves a better experience than that." "She would not have married, had she been left to her own choice, but her mother and other friends persuaded her. Rogers was her husband's name, and he was a potter by trade, a first-class workman; and they thought he was capable of getting a good living, I suppose." "A good character would have been of more service to him," suggested Benjamin; "a very unfortunate affair." "I was going to sway," continued Keimer, "that she had been married but a few weeks before she found that Rogers had another wife. Of course her marriage was not legal, and she left him at once." "Probably her mother made no inquiry about Rogers' character beforehand," remarked Benjamin. "Mothers ought to be wiser than that." "We all have to live and learn, and experience is our best schoolmaster," added Keimer.